Reflecting traffic signal



May 22, 1928.

w. H. 'r'oBENER REFLECTING TRAFFIC- SIGNAL Filed oct. 8. 1925 ATTORNEY Patented May 22, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,670,321 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAH H. TOBENEB, 0F KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR O ONE-HALF TO E. L WINN, JR., 0F KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

REFLECTING TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application tiledOctober 8,1925. Serial No. 61,357.

My invention relates to highway signals and has for its principal object to provide a signal of that character whereby rays from the headlights of passing vehicles are received in the signal and caused to glow in sharp contrast to the glare of the headlights to attract the attention of the drivers` and impart a, Warning or traflic instructions.

It is also an object of the invention to prop vide a signal of this character that is readily discernible by day as Well as by night.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in t-he accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a signal constructed invl` accordance with ny invention.

Fi 2 is a horizontal, sectional View of' the signal on the line 2-*2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the .parts of the signal shown in spaced relation, and viewed from the rear. z

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional .view through a portion of the refiecting membersl of` the signal, illustrating the path of. the li ht rays.

ig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one end of the mirrored reflector. Referring more in detail to the drawings, l 1 designates my preferred form of signal which may be suspended from a bracket 2 fixed to a post or other support adjacent to the sideof the road at a pointwhere it will receive light from the-headlights of'passing .vehicles Specically, the signal comprises Ya body plate 3 having the letters 4 of a word of warning or instructions perforated therein and back of which and in line with the letters is a sheet metal housing c'ontaining suitable reflectors and which may be secured' t0 the body plate by bolts 6 extending through openings 7 in the bodyv'plate and in alignin openings 8 in a peripheral flange'9 of the Iiousin 5.

Within the housing 5 and adjacent to the lettersgi is a translucent, glass plate 10, preferably provided onl its inner surface with substantially semi-spherical, integral rotuberances 11 to receive and reflect light rom a mirrored reflector 12, fixed' in the housing at. the rear of the translucent plate 10 but spaced therefrom by a focusingmember 13, preferably constructedl of wood and comprising with cross partitions the signal, and of proper thickness to proa rectangular frame 14, provided vide the necessary focus between the mirsnugly receive and retain the plate 10, the

mirrored reflector 12 and the focusing member`13 firmly in position between'the front plate and the back 19 ofthe housing.

In assembling the signal, preferably two thicknesses of cardboard 20 are placed in the back of the housingtoprotect the mirrored refiector. The mirrored reflector is then put in. lace and the focusing frame applied over t e mirror; then the translucent plate is placed on.`top,.\after which lead is run between. the edge of the plate 10 and the housing to seal the parts in place. -A gasket 22 is then applied to the flange andthe Whole bolted to the body plate 3 by the ybolts 6 to` complete the sign.

In operation, rays of light from the headlights of passing vehicles pass through the translucent plate and are reflected by the flutes on the mirror back upon the spherical protuberances ll which again reflect them upon the flutes of the mirror, and so on, back and forth between the mirror and the plate, highly intensifying the light reflected upon the translucent plate and causing the letters'to appear to be aglow with li ht.

,The translucent plate is preferab y of white glass so that it will stand-out in contrast to a dark background for the letters and make the signal readily discernible in daylight.

The front plate 3 may be of any desired shape and carry various signs of warnings to suit the particular use of the signal, and

it may insome cases be dispensed with by painting the surface of the translucent plate strips 15, 16 and 17 to provide y between each ot' the letters 4 of ha f around the outline of the desired letters,

leaving clear the `surface of the glass occupied. by the letters.

Letters-Patent isz- 1..- In a signal of the character described, a body plate apertured to provide information, a-light receiving member back of the 105- What I claim and desire to secure by 2. In a signal of the character described,

a body plate perforated with indicia ele-..

ments, ya light receiving member back of the perforated part of said body plate comprising a translucent plate having a rearreecting surface, a back plate having a front reflecting surface, and a spacer separating said front and back plates and comprising bars in line with the spaces between the indicia elements in the bodyplate.

3. In a signal of the character described, the combination of a plate having openings outlining characters, a translucent plate nemesi' having reflector portions on its rear face, a reflector in the rearof the translucent plate, spacers located between said reflector plates and between each of the openingsv in the front plate to separate one character from another, a housing for said reflector plates and spacers, said spacers co-operating withrthe translucent and reflector plates to provide separate compartments in the rear of each character.

' 4. A signal device comprising a casing, a. reflector in said casing, a plate in the front of the casing having transparent portions in the form ofeharacters, a translucent plate on the inner side of said front plate, said translucent plate having protuberances on the rear surface, and spacers between the translucent plate and the reilector.

ln testimony whereof I aflix my signature.,

WILLIAM H. TOBENER. 

